When
it comes to getting a paid carer, you have three different options:
employing them directly, contracting them (if they are self-employed,
for example) or contracting through an agency or provider. You can
find out more about each of these options here.
In this article, we are looking at top tips to help you directly
employ a paid carer, but many of the tips will still apply, even if
you are contracting a paid carer instead.

There
are a number of key benefits to employing your own paid carer: you
get to decide what hours they work, and exactly what work they will
do. It also means that you know who will be coming to work for you,
and you won't be sent a substitute, as you might with an agency.
However, you also become an employer, which comes with certain
responsibilities. We'll take a look at how to get started in these
tips.

1. Advertise
your position

The
first thing that you need to do is create a job description for your
paid carer. This should include things like exactly what you want
them to do, what the hours would be, what kind of person you are
looking for and what training or skills they should have. Don't
include any personal information in your advert, such as your home
address, and consider using online job sites, as these are more
anonymous.

2. Work
out what you can pay

You
must offer to pay at least the National
Minimum Wage for your hourly rate, but do look at what you can
afford to pay. When it comes to purchasing care, you often get
what you pay for, so if you are looking for someone who has
considerable experience and training, you may need to offer more than
the minimum wage to attract the right applicants.

3. Hold
interviews

Once
you have had some responses to your advertisement, you will need to
organise interviews with a few of the applicants to help you find out
more about them. It's advisable to hold these interviews outside of
your home and to take someone with you to the interview. There is
more
advice on how to conduct an interview here. Once you have made
your decision, you will need to send a letter to the unsuccessful
candidates, as well as an offer of employment to the successful
person.

4. Ask
for references

After
offering the job, you should get references for your potential new
employee. It is usual to get two references from previous employers,
or you could get a character reference from a personal contact if
they can only provide one previous employer. Ask these referees key
questions about your candidate to ensure that they match up to your
expectations. You can ask for references in writing, though by phone
may be quicker and easier to verify.

5. Perform
a DBS check

Previously
called a CRB check, a DBS check lets you know if the person that you
are hiring has had any criminal convictions. You can find out more
about DBS checks on the official Government website here. You're the Boss can carry out DBS checks using an online system, which means that results come back in days rather than weeks. If you are interested in finding out more about this service, then take a look here.

7. Create
an employment contract

Before
your new employee starts, you will need to supply them with an
employment contract. This sets out all of their statutory rights,
their place of work and hours, their pay rate, their key duties,
notice periods and more. You need to make sure that this is as
detailed as possible so that you and your employee know exactly what
to expect of each other. We have got a information on what you should put in a contract of employment as a starting point or a template contract of employment for you to fill in that you can buy.

8. Your
responsibilities

There
are certain rights and responsibilities that you need to be aware of
as an employer. You must provide your employee with a contract within
two months of them starting work for you; you must pay at least
minimum wage and deduct National Insurance and tax as relevant; and
you must provide holiday
pay and sick
pay. There is a more definitive
list of employer responsibilities here.

9. Planning
for absences

If
your employee is off sick or on holiday, then it is up to you to find
alternative cover for them. By asking for a minimum period of notice
for holidays, then you can arrange for someone to take over, whether
this is a family member or a short-term carer from an agency or other
provider. Sickness is much harder to predict, so you should think
about a back-up plan for days when your paid carer is unable to make
it into work. Ask a family member to be on standby or see if there
are any local agencies that would be able and willing to provide a
paid carer from their team for a short period.

10. Arrange
payment and deductions

You
can opt to pay someone yourself and to do this you need to register
as an employer with HMRC.
There is an online form, but there are some new rules in regards to
hiring a carer and other domestic help, which means that you may
need to phone a helpline to register, rather than doing it online.
The HMRC website has dedicated
information for people who are employing a paid carer. If you prefer, you can use a payroll service, which does all of the calculations and deductions for you, issues the payslips and liaises with HMRC on your behalf. You're the Boss now offers its own payroll service.

11. Perform
a risk assessment

It
is your responsibility to ensure that your employee's work
environment is safe, so take a look around your home for potential
hazards. If your employee is required to wear or use any personal
protective equipment , then there are some regulations
that apply.

12. Keep
detailed records

You
must keep a record of certain details. These include tax and National Insurance information, hours worked each week, holidays taken, pay,
sickness and any accidents that occur in the line of work.